The present subject matter generally concerns an embedded antenna for use in electronic devices that transmit or receive data signals in a wireless communications environment. More particularly, the subject embedded antenna may be used to facilitate communication associated with utility metering among endpoints and other nodes in a wireless utility network. In some exemplary embodiments of the presently disclosed technology, an embedded antenna is incorporated into a structural member of a utility meter. Such a modular embedded antenna apparatus can provide a plurality of functions, including radio frequency (RF) reception and radiation, device labeling, and structural support for a utility meter.
Several types of customer utilities are available at residential and commercial properties worldwide. Such properties and other locations may typically be provided with selected utilites (i.e., products or commodities) such as water, gas, electricity, cable service, telecommunications, and others. When a selected utility is provided to a customer load, there is typically some sort of metering hardware that is available for monitoring the amount of product or service that is provided to a specific customer load. Utility meters are typically characterized by some sort of metrology hardware that measures this consumption information and other related variables.
Many utility meters also include communications elements that provide a signal interface between the metrology hardware of a meter and other devices. Known communications components in some utility meters include radio frequency (RF) communications devices that can transmit and receive signaled information between the meter and communications nodes at other locations in a metering network. A meter with such wireless communication capabilities may provide an arrangement for remotely reading consumption data and other information from the meter without having to manually retrieve this information from a meter.
Remote data acquisition is only one of many potential applications that becomes possible due to the development of wireless metering technology. General monitoring and remote control of meters and other distribution system points in a utility network may also be available. With the appropriate interface among metering system components, wireless services may include remote sensing for sectionalized circuits, fault location and isolation, and detection of impending system failure. Wireless technology associated with the present subject matter may also contribute to commercial information opportunities such as office machine monitoring, home energy management, vending machine monitoring, or security and smoke detection.
RF antennas have typically been incorporated with communications hardware associated with metering or monitoring devices. Just as with the location of other utility meter elements, antenna location may be restricted to the confines of a meter's “black box,” typically defined by a meter's outer cover. Antennas enclosed within a product's housing or outer casing are often referred to as embedded antennas. Restricted location may also be due to packaging and performance constraints, or to stave off the possibility of meter tampering in the field.
Known utility meters include communications modules within the meter structure, such that an antenna may often be located on a circuit board or other internal location. An antenna embedded deep within a metering device may be subjected to interference from other electronic components, thus hindering performance characteristics of the antenna. Other known antennas associated with metering devices may be adhered to the outside cover of a utility meter. This option poses potential problems because it is often hard to repeatedly position such an antenna for optimal antenna radiation. Environmental exposure of an antenna adhered to the exterior of a metering device may also cause the antenna adhesive to fail, posing the risk of completely loosing antenna functionality.
A specific example of a communications module and associated antenna for use in a utility meter environment is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2001/0038343 A1 (Meyer et al.) Meyer et al. discloses an exemplary double-tapered dipole antenna for internal mounting within a communications module associated with a utility meter. The internal antenna is not designed with a specific optimized location, and thus an external antenna may often be required. Furthermore, the lack of design location for such antenna components still yields a potential for interference among other components of the communications module and associated utility meter.
There are other criteria that may influence antenna design. The antenna must preferably be positioned such that its ability to radiate and receive wireless signals is optimized. Optimal performance may be of particular importance with metering applications, due to possible obscure meter location, such as in a basement or other lower structural level. Optimized antenna performance may also provide a wider range of communications capabilities within a wireless network.
It is thus desired to provide antenna designs and related features that offer preferred location and optimized performance characteristics. It may also be preferred to incorporate such features as labeling information, structural support, and antenna functionality in a single modular antenna apparatus. While various aspects and alternative embodiments may be known in the field of embedded antenna technology, no one design has emerged that generally encompasses the above-referenced characteristics and other desirable features associated with antenna technology and related wireless metering applications.